1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the packaging, storing, and dispensing of frozen products such as soft ice cream, frozen custards, sorbets, other nondairy products, and the like, and more particularly to an efficient and cost-effective dispenser and method of packaging, storing, and dispensing a soft-serve ice-cream- or sorbet-style confection.
2. Description of Related Art
Soft-serve confection dispensing systems are used to provide consumers with desserts that are typically a mixture of previously stored ingredients that must be combined, mixed, and frozen in situ. Such machines are available for use, for example, in fast-food-styled restaurants, but such machines are typically expensive, require highly trained personnel to operate, need frequent cleaning, and break down with a greater than acceptable frequency.
Machines are known in the art that dispense frozen product either with the use of a screw extruder utilizing a conical screw or with a high-speed spinner mixer. As an example, Crossley (U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,640) teaches an apparatus that imparts a twist to dispensed ice cream. The mechanism of twisting the ice cream from the holding container includes a blending rod and a disk dividing injected ice cream into two mixing chambers.
Seymour (U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,663) discloses an apparatus for dispensing syrups for producing variegated soft ice cream. Ney (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,668,561 and 4,861,255) discloses an apparatus that combines a drive motor, piston and shaft, and a rack and pinion device to extrude mixed product. A cooperation of concentric grooves and spokes drives product into an exit orifice, as well as a conventional manually operated actuating lever. Ohgushi et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,275) teach a “pressing-out mechanism” mediated by the handle and rotating axle. Kibby (U.S. Pat. No. 4,647,214) discloses the use of an auger to advance product toward a discharge opening.
Another frozen dessert dispensing apparatus is disclosed by Alpers et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,464,120), in which frozen product is dispensed downward through the action of a piston.